It's rare that I have the opportunity for a break and truth be told, I actually had two over the course of the weekend. Saturday night the kids were doing their usual "kid stuff" at the end of the day - they were both tired and everything was pushing their buttons and setting them off and, as a result, they were pushing my buttons and setting me off. (Funny how that happens, right? :) )
While cleaning up the dinner dishes with Dakota something set off both kids at once (different things and different issues but lucky for us, both at the same time). Good heavens - I thought I was going to come completely unglued. To say it had been a long two weeks with both kids being sick, etc. is an understatement.
I looked at Dakota and said something like "I. Cannot. Take. This. For. Another. Minute." She looked at me and said "Why don't you take off for an hour or so - just bring back something good for dessert for us for later." :)
I quickly kissed the squalling off-spring, grabbed my purse (yes, I carry one. I had to give in after having kids because there is just so much stuff to lug from place to place to place), my keys and cell phone, kissed Dakota, uttered my undying gratitude and out the door I flew.
But where to go. Hmmmmmmmmm. I ended up at Fred Meyer (a One-Stop Shopping type place) and rambled around aimlessly. I didn't need anything (except dessert. I must remember dessert.) and since it's not like money grows on trees I wasn't going to just buy for the sake of buying so I felt a little lost. I found swimming suits (I do need a new one but alas, I can't find anything that "suits" me. LOL!) and ended up taking a photo on the cell phone to send my to brother's girlfriend. She and I had looked at suits together a few weeks back and had a good time making fun of most of the ones we saw (Did you know they have one that looks like a Twister game. Seriously? Wow.) so I knew she would love the one I saw that night. It was Hello Kitty suit with a big ol' outline of the kitty herself on the top. Ummmmm....ok? Maybe I'm old but I found that somewhat disturbing.
I decided I just had to show you so I just sent it to myself in email. Here it is:
I know, right? Wow. Sign me up - I think I need to get one of those puppies. *rolling my eyes*
Anyway - so I had a nice hour to myself on Saturday and then yesterday was one of the kids cousin's 7th birthday party and I just didn't want to go. The thought of two glorious hours to myself was way, way, WAY more appealing and thankfully Dakota was fine with taking the kids and going without me. After they left the house was so quiet. Really, really quiet. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I read for a little while and then decided to take a trip to Ikea. The store is not quite a year old and we have been there once though lately I've been trying to get back there to check out a few things. It has just never worked out with the kids and whatnot. So, I jumped into the car and drove the 20 minutes to the store. Since it was late afternoon parking was easy. I was in and out of the store in less than 40 minutes - empty handed. Which was fine. They didn't have what I was looking for and since I didn't need anything else, it was easy to walk through and keep moving. I still want to get back there with Dakota because I think it would be fun to look at things together. We have to go without the kids though - they were a bit challenging to herd through there and I'm not sure the play place would be a good option for them. Maybe the next time we have a date night we can go there and check things out together. I know. Exciting but hey - at least we would be together. :)
So there you have it. Three hours of kid-free, alone time in one weekend. I do believe that is the largest slice of "me time" I've had in ....well.....probably all school year. Maybe longer.
I suck at getting "me time" because I feel pulled in so many different directions. I'm alone with the kids most of the time so when Dakota is around I usually want family time since we have so little of it. Yes, I could take off more often when Dakota is home on Sunday but then I miss the only time we have together all week. It's tough because it's a choice I just don't want to make. Family time, because there is so little of it, wins (almost) every time.
This is the last week of classes for Dakota and then it's two more weeks until her last final for the year. Summer time is coming which means more family time and more chances for breaks and date nights. YAY!!!
1 comments:
Don't you hate it when people say, "You really should make more time for yourself." I always think in my head, "Sure, I'll make time for myself at 3am, because that's about the only time that is mine, and even then a two year old is kicking me in the ribs, a cat is sitting on my chest, a husband is snoring, a dog is trotting down the hallway begging to go out, and I'm making mental lists about all the stuff I have to do the next day." It is just sooo hard to be a human being and a mother. It's like those two ideas can't co-exist.
I'm thrilled you were able to escape, even for a moment. And if it helps, if we lived closer, I'd bring Froggy over for a playdate, and you could go shopping, or for a drive, or to the movies. It is just soooo nice to have a moment without whining! I hear ya.
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